Maggie Throup, Member of Parliament for Erewash and former Public Health Minister is urging all students heading to university this Autumn to check their NHS vaccination records and get jabbed up if they are missing MenACWY, MMR or HPV jabs.
Before starting the new term, students should make sure that they are up to date with the following free routine vaccinations:
- MenACWY – protecting against 4 common strains causing meningitis and septicaemia.
- MMR – protecting against measles, mumps and rubella.
- HPV – protecting against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), related cancers such a cervical cancer and other cancers of the head, neck and genital areas, and genital warts.
Students can check whether they have had these vaccines via the NHS App. If any students missed these vaccines, they should contact their GP surgery to arrange an appointment.
Maggie commented:
With the new university term upon us, I am urging all students, new and returning, to make sure their NHS vaccination records are up to date before heading to university.
With large numbers of students coming together from home and abroad, infection can spread easily, and it is imperative that students have protection against these deadly bugs.
After clean water, I believe vaccinations are the most impactful public health measure possible. So, I am urging students to check your records and get jabbed up if necessary.
I would encourage students to contact their GP at the earliest opportunity if they have missed out on a MenACWY, HPV, or MMR jab as doing so could help save their life.
Data shows that around 1 in 8 new students heading to university this autumn are unprotected against 4 deadly types of meningitis - A, C, W and Y – which can cause long term disability, serious health complications and can even be life threatening.
All first-year students starting college or university this September and returning students who are not up to date with all their childhood and adolescent vaccines are at increased risk of serious diseases such as meningitis, septicaemia and measles as they mix with large numbers of other students from around the country and overseas.
